Shutter mechanism

Abstract

Some embodiments of a device comprise a shuttle member, wherein the shuttle member includes a body, wherein the body includes an opening that extends through the body, and wherein at least part of the shuttle is radiopaque; a first actuator; and a second actuator, wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are positioned on opposite sides of the shuttle member, wherein the first actuator is configured to move the shuttle member in a first direction, and wherein the second actuator is configured to move the shuttle member in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A shutter device comprising:
 a shuttle member, wherein the shuttle member includes a body, wherein the body includes an opening that extends through the body, and wherein at least part of the shuttle member is radiopaque; 
 a first actuator; and 
 a second actuator, 
 wherein the shuttle member is suspended from the first actuator and the second actuator and between the first actuator and the second actuator, 
 wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are positioned on opposite sides of the shuttle member, 
 wherein the first actuator is configured to move the shuttle member in a first direction, and 
 wherein the second actuator is configured to move the shuttle member in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The shutter device of  claim 1 , wherein the body of the shuttle member forms a perimeter that surrounds the opening that extends through the body. 
     
     
       3. The shutter device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein one or both of the first and second actuators are pneumatic actuators, or 
 wherein one or both of the first and second actuators are magnetic actuators, or 
 wherein one or both of the first and second actuators are hydraulic actuators, or 
 wherein one or both of the first and second actuators are electromechanical actuators, or 
 wherein one or both of the first and second actuators are electrohydraulic actuators. 
 
     
     
       4. The shutter device of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the shuttle member includes a first arm that is held by the first actuator, 
 wherein the shuttle member includes a second arm that is held by the second actuator, 
 wherein the first arm is directly joined to the body, and 
 wherein the second arm is directly joined to the body. 
 
     
     
       5. The shutter device of  claim 4 , wherein the first arm is directly held by the first actuator, and
 wherein the second arm is directly held by the second actuator. 
 
     
     
       6. The shutter device of  claim 1 , wherein, along an axis that extends from the first actuator to the second actuator, the body of the shuttle member has a circular cross section, an elliptical cross section, or a quadrilateral cross section. 
     
     
       7. The shutter device of  claim 1 , wherein the shuttle member includes a first arm that is held by the first actuator,
 wherein the shuttle member includes a second arm that is held by the second actuator, and 
 wherein the first arm and the second arm are fixed relative to the body such that, as the shuttle member moves between the first position and the second position, the body, the first arm, and the second arm move in unison. 
 
     
     
       8. A device comprising:
 an aperture; 
 a shuttle member, wherein the shuttle member includes a body, wherein the shuttle member includes an opening that extends through the body, and wherein the shuttle member includes a radiopaque portion; 
 a first actuator; and 
 a second actuator, 
 wherein the first actuator is configured to move the shuttle member to a first location in which the opening that extends through the body is aligned with the aperture, 
 wherein the second actuator is configured to move the shuttle member to a second location in which the radiopaque portion is aligned with the aperture, and 
 wherein the shuttle member is suspended from the first actuator and the second actuator and between the first actuator and the second actuator. 
 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the first actuator exerts a force in a first direction, and 
 wherein the second actuator exerts a force in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. 
 
     
     
       10. The imaging device of  claim 9 ,
 wherein the shuttle member includes a first arm that is held by the first actuator, 
 wherein the shuttle member includes a second arm that is held by the second actuator, and 
 wherein the body, the first arm, and the second arm are integrally formed. 
 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an X-ray generator, 
 wherein the shuttle member is located between the X-ray generator and the aperture, 
 wherein in the first location, in which the opening that extends through the body is aligned with the aperture, X-rays that are emitted by the X-ray generator travel through the opening and through the aperture, and 
 wherein in the second position, in which the radiopaque portion is aligned with the aperture, X-rays that are emitted by the X-ray generator are blocked from traveling through the aperture by the radiopaque portion. 
 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the shuttle member includes a first arm that is directly held by the first actuator, and 
 wherein the shuttle member includes a second arm that is directly held by the second actuator. 
 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the first arm and the second arm are fixed relative to the body such that, as the body moves between the first location and the second location, the first arm and the second arm both move in unison with the body. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 8 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are positioned on opposite sides of the body. 
     
     
       15. A shuttle device comprising:
 a body, wherein at least a part of the body is radiopaque; 
 an opening that extends through the body; 
 a first arm that extends away from the opening, that is directly joined to the body, and that is configured to be directly held by a first actuator; and 
 a second arm that extends away from the opening, that is directly joined to the body, and that is configured to be directly held by a second actuator, 
 wherein the body is rigidly joined to the first arm and is rigidly joined to the second arm such that the body, the first arm, and the second arm move in unison. 
 
     
     
       16. The shuttle device of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the first arm and the second arm are located on opposite sides of the body, and 
 wherein the body is longer on a longitudinal axis that extends from the first arm to the second arm than along an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       17. The shuttle device of  claim 16 , wherein, along the longitudinal axis, the body has a circular cross section or an elliptical cross section. 
     
     
       18. The shuttle device of  claim 16 , wherein, along the longitudinal axis, the body has a polygonal cross section. 
     
     
       19. The shuttle device of  claim 16 , wherein the body includes a hollow space that extends along a longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       20. The shuttle device of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is also perpendicular to an axis that extends through the opening, and 
 wherein a thickness of the first arm along the axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is less than a thickness of the body along the axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.